1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to devices used for collecting discarded cans, and more particularly, to an apparatus which may be pulled along a ground surface with cans thereon and having a plurality of flexible discs positionable adjacent to the ground surface for engaging the cans and moving them into a retrieval basket.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Litter discarded along the side of the road and in other areas is a well known problem. Much of this litter is in the form of aluminum beverage cans which have a substantially indefinite life, and thus remain a litter problem until picked up. Therefore, there is a need to collect such cans to reduce the litter.
In addition to the aesthetic reasons for collecting aluminum cans, the aluminum material in the cans has value. In recent years, aluminum recycling centers have been opened where scrap aluminum may be sold. Probably the majority of the aluminum brought to these centers for recycling is in the form of used beverage cans. Thus, there are economic reasons for collecting the cans, and there exists a need for selectively retrieving cans in an economical manner for recycling.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,099 to Black is for picking up litter wherein a plurality of tines penetrate the litter, and the litter is then stripped off the tines into a basket. The problem with this device is that it picks up all kinds of litter and does not selectively retrieve aluminum beverage cans.
Another apparatus for retrieving litter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,154 to Moore which picks up litter between a plurality of independently biased fingers. Again, this device is used to pick up litter other than cans.
The apparatus of the present invention solves the problems of Black and Moore, and addresses the need for an apparatus for picking up aluminum cans in that it is more selective and substantially avoids picking up other litter. This is made possible by a plurality of flexible discs which may be positioned adjacent to the ground and which catch the cans between adjacent pairs thereof. A somewhat similar structure is found in the stone collector of Curry U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,902, and in a number of golf ball retrieving devices, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,759 to Hollrock, et al. Neither the apparatus of Curry nor the golf ball retrieving apparatus are designed for use in collecting beverage cans or are as easily transported as the present invention.